Bialetti

Moka Express stovetop coffee maker Alfonso Bialetti designed the Moka Express in 1933, and its eight-sided aluminum body is still the shape most people picture when they think of stovetop coffee. The octagon is not only Art Deco styling: the flat facets give a firm grip when you unscrew a hot pot. Water in the base is forced up through the coffee basket into the top chamber, and the gurgle tells you it is done. What you get is strong, concentrated coffee rather than true espresso. The aluminum pot needs an adapter plate to work on an induction cooktop and should be rinsed by hand rather than put in the dishwasher. Bialetti credits Alfonso, but some accounts name other inventors, so treat the origin story as contested.